The New House
by awinkandasmile
Summary: This is a short story based upon an actual scene from Days of Our Lives from 1985. The scene in question is during the Kimberly's blindness storyline, and my story picks up near the end of the video. If you would like to watch it, it is called Kim and Shane-Blindness SL and was uploaded by lovingshane. I need to thank my beta reader for some wonderful advice! I hope you enjoy.


Relaxing on the floor of Shane's new home, Kimberly and Shane were trying to figure out the mystery that is Victor Kiriakis, and what his connection was to her parents. He had already given her a mini-tour of the place, and apologized for the lack of lighting. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, putting an abrupt end to the conversation.

Shane let out a sigh as he stood up. "Uh, excuse me."

She could hear low voices coming from the other room, but could not quite make out what they were saying. The door closed, and she heard Shane's voice coming from the other room. "Something I ordered for us when I went to pick you up this evening..."

"Ordered what?" Kimberly responded, always enjoying a surprise but too curious and impatient to wait very long.

"Picnic basket," Shane responded, his voice drawing nearer. "We've got bread and cheese. Fruit, paté, wine." Kimberly smiled at the pleasure in his voice. "Oh, no," Shane lamented.

"What?" Kimberly became concerned. "What?"

"I forgot to order any glasses, we don't have a thing here." Kim could tell Shane felt embarrassed about it all.

"That's okay," Kimberly tried to reassure. Struggling for words, she began, "It's, it's..."

Shane broke in. "I'm sorry Kim, I shouldn't have brought you here. The restaurant's only just opened up, and I'm afraid you can't make up for lack of plates and glasses with mere ambiance. You must be uncomfortable," Shane said sadly.

"I'm comfortable. No, no, I'm comfortable," Kimberly offered. "The carpet is so soft, you wouldn't want to put furniture on it anyway, it'd only ruin it.." Kimberly ran her hand over the soft pile carpet as if to prove her point. "It just, um..." Kimberly spoke the next few words with hesitation. "...needs a woman's touch." She felt his hand take hers and caress it tenderly.

Softly, the words he spoke touched her heart, "So it does."

"Umm..." Not ready to have this discussion, she turned away from the direction of his face. "It needs a woman who can see," she retorted, again putting distance between them.

"Kim," Shane began scooting closer and she felt his hand touching her arm. "Kim, you can see fine." His hand was now on her hair. "With your hands, with your heart, with your mind." All the while, his hands were creeping closer, and suddenly, she felt the softness of his fingertips on her jaw. Gently turning her head towards him, he implored, "You don't need eyes. Let me be your eyes..." Caressing her face, he leaned forward to kiss her, and she was powerless to stop it.

She needed to feel his lips on hers in that moment. _This is okay, right? Just for a moment._ Surely she could allow herself the taste and feel of him for just a moment. Then she came to her senses. Withdrawing quickly before she would not be able to stop herself, she moved her head to the side.

"No," Shane protested. Taking her shoulders, he turned her back towards him and proclaimed, "No, I'm not going to let you turn away this time. I just want to hold you, that's all." They clung to each other, as one would cling to a life raft in the middle of the ocean. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to feel comfort and safety in the arms of the man who meant more to her than anyone else in the world. She could not put into words the strength she gained from him. He seemed to know just what she needed in the moment, whether it be an encouraging word, a gentle touch, or even a new challenge. It was like he had an instruction manual on her, and it unnerved her.

After a minute or two, Kim realized that she was becoming a little too comfortable in his arms, and she pulled away. "So," she began, "we're not going to let a little detail like no glasses or dishes ruin our night, are we?"

"Well, Miss Brady," Shane responded, giving that almost lyrical pronunciation of her name that always made her smile, "what do you suggest?"

"Are there napkins in there? We could just put our food on napkins, or eat out of the basket even," Kimberly suggested. "And after living in Paris, I must confess this would not be the first time I've drank wine straight from the bottle." She gave a small smile at the memory.

Raising his eyebrow, Shane was captivated. "I would love to hear more about your time in Europe."

"I'm sure you would," Kimberly interrupted, "but that's not something I want to talk about now." _The past belongs in the past._

Rooting through the picnic basket, Shane found something. "Eureka! Our picnic can now commence." His cheerful mood had returned.

"Good," Kimberly responded, "because I am starving."

"Well, ladies first," Shane replied, scooting the basket closer to her. "I'll open the wine."

Kimberly sat there for a minute, trying to figure out how she could gracefully attempt this. Softly, she spoke, "On second thought, maybe I could use a little help."

Always a gentleman, Shane responded without hesitation. "Of course." He spread a napkin out right in front of her. "What would the lady like?"

"I'll take some cheese, grapes, and paté. Thank you sir." Kimberly grinned as they settled into a comfortable repertoire.

"Mmn, the lady has exquisite taste," Shane bantered, happy to see she was beginning to relax. He put the items on her napkin, save the paté. "Here's everything except the paté," Shane said, taking her hand and putting it on the napkin. "When you are ready for that, let me know."

"This is delicious Shane." It had been so long since she had allowed herself to partake in such a simple pleasure. The last time she had felt so wonderful, just enjoying the simplicity of the moment, was probably the 4th of July. Again, with Shane. She sighed contentedly. "Thank you for all of this."

Shane popped a piece of cheese in and wiped his mouth. "You're very welcome. Would you like some wine?"

"Oh, yes please." Kimberly held out her hand and felt a jolt of electricity when their fingers touched. She took the bottle from Shane. Taking a drink, she felt the spicy, room-temperature liquid race through her mouth and down her throat, giving a quick warmth that spread through her upper body. It was pinot noir, she noted. Her favorite. "This is wonderful Shane," she complimented. The seductive bite of the dark wine beckoned her to take another drink before offering it back to him, "Would you like to have some?"

"Yes, I think I'll try it," Shane answered, extending his hand toward her. Not realizing where his hand was, she thrust the bottle towards him, bumping him in the arm. The dark red liquid flew up in the air, and landed on his crisp white shirt and tan sweater vest.

Kimberly gasped, realizing what had happened. "Oh Shane, I'm so sorry. Did it get on the carpet?" Kimberly worried.

"No. No the carpet looks fine," Shane reassured her after examining the area thoroughly. "Luckily, my shirt and vest saved the day," Shane joked..

"Oh, no," Kimberly lamented. "Wait. Do you happen to have any white vinegar here? My aunt swore it could get almost any kind of stain out. It worked so well, it's almost as good as holy water in her book," Kimberly mused, her Roman Catholic background emerging.

"You know, I think the former owners left some cleaning supplies in the laundry room. I could go check," Shane offered.

"Yes, you should do that," Kimberly insisted. "I believe it was one part white vinegar to one part water."

"Okay, I'll be right back," Shane said. With that, he got up and she heard his footsteps slowly becoming quieter and quieter.

"Come on Kimberly, get a hold of yourself." Kim gave herself a little pep talk. Slowly moving her hand around, trying not to knock anything over, she found the bottle of wine. Bringing her mouth to the edge, she took another drink. Why did she always have to be so clumsy? They had laughed about it a few weeks before, but it was just one more thing that at times left her feeling helpless. Especially when she couldn't even see or clean up the mess she made.

"The stains are soaking as we speak." She heard Shane's voice floating through the house, as he made his way back to the living room. "I guess I was lucky they forgot a few things." Shane returned and sat down.

"I'm so sorry," Kimberly began.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Shane interrupted. "It was just one of those things. Now, if you are willing to part with it, might I get a taste of the wine?" Shane spoke with a smile.

Grinning as it brought back memories of the day she offered him tea, she gently held the bottle up. "I think I'll let you take this."

"Thank you," he said, and again their fingers touched. The bottle pass was slower this time, as if neither wanted to stop touching the other. Kimberly could feel the intensity of his stare. Even though she was blind, she felt completely unmasked by the way he looked at her. He knew her too well. She moved her hand to her napkin to get a grape. Realizing she had eaten everything, she cleared her throat. She heard Shane take a gulp. "I, uh, I guess I'm ready for a little paté," she requested.

"Of course." Shane tore off a bite-sized piece of bread, and scooped a little bit of paté onto it. "I think I had better feed it to you, it's a little messy and we don't want any more accidents," he joked.

A surprised laugh escaped her lips, and Kimberly acquiesced. "I suppose that's fair," she replied, opening her mouth in the direction his voice came from. She felt the bread at her lips, and she opened a little further so the piece could enter completely. When she felt it stop moving, she began to close her mouth. Her lips caught a few of Shane's fingertips. "Mmn," she almost moaned. "It's so good." Whether she was speaking of the paté or Shane's fingers, she'd never tell.

Tearing another piece off, Shane tried the paté himself. "Oh, this is good," he said, searching for the scent and taste of Kimberly as he put the bite in his mouth. "Here, have some more," he offered, bringing another bite to her rosy pink lips.

Opening her mouth, she closed her eyes when her lips closed around his fingers, as he very slowly retracted them. Chewing slowly, she could feel her heartbeat starting to quicken. "Shane," she began, taking a deep breath. She heard him scoot closer to her, and she put her hand out to keep some distance. But something stopped her hand. _What was it?_ _It was smooth, and firm, and... Oh God!_ It was his chest!

She hadn't thought of it, but he had been sitting here half-naked talking and eating with her for quite a while. Kimberly froze, not moving her hand, unsure of what to do next. Thank God she could not see right now, because she would not be able to take her eyes off that chest! How she loved to plant little kisses all over it, to run her hands over every inch. To...

"Kimberly, are you okay?" Shane was speaking to her, and it broke her reverie. All of this caused her to jump, breaking contact with him.

Bringing her hand back down to the carpet, her fingertips tingled from the contact. Her mouth had gone dry. Clearing her throat, she weakly managed to spit out, "Yes, maybe I could use another drink of wine?"

Their hands touched yet again as they passed the bottle, and she savored his touch. She took a long drink and attempted to calm herself. "This is some of the chest wine I've ever had," she murmured to herself, feeling warm and relaxed.

"What did you just say?" Shane inquired, trying to figure out if he heard what he thought he heard.

Her eyes flew open. Her head was swimming from the wine, the paté, and the chest! "I, um, said this wine was the best." She emphasized the last word. Feeling his hand upon her cheek, Kimberly felt him yet again turn her face toward him. She wondered if he was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth ever so slightly, ready to give herself completely to this moment with him.

"You, uh, have a little paté on your mouth," Shane said. "Here, let me get that for you."

Feeling embarrassed and disappointed, Kimberly managed to keep her wits about her. "Oh, thank you..." She couldn't get the last part out, as she felt Shane's mouth on the very corner of hers. His tongue darted out, and cleaned off the bit of food. He slowly pulled back, trying to read her.

"Do you see any more," she asked hopefully.

"I don't see any." Shane looked her over. "Maybe I should check a little closer?"

"Perhaps you should," Kimberly responded with a grin.

"Gladly," replied Shane, readily going over the whole area with his soft lips. "Oh, I think I see something else."

"Wher..." Kimberly started to speak, but that turned into a gasp as he found that place near her left earlobe and went to work. At this, Kimberly's head fell back, her right arm wound around his neck, and her left hand crept up his chest. A moan escaped her lips, and Shane began to explore her neck, quickly becoming frustrated by the scarf on her shirt. He moved back up to her mouth, which he claimed with an intensity that made the room spin. She brought her other arm up and around his neck, the top half of their bodies pushed together so tightly, they moved as one.

He slowly laid her back on the floor, moving the wine bottle out of the way with his hands, and pushing the picnic basket away with his feet. In the silence of the room, she was momentarily brought back to their time in England, in front of the fire...

His kisses grew more insistent, she knew she could no longer deny her desire. She was powerless to stop this, even if she wanted to (which to be clear, she _didn't_). Whatever the consequences were, she would deal with tomorrow. Her breath caught as she felt his hand travel up her side, stopping just below her chest. Suddenly, his hand left its post, and she felt him shift. There was movement around her neck, and she could feel some tugging on her scarf. Letting her hands travel around, she explored the smoothness of his chest, then shoulders. As she kept up her explorations, she realized his arms were on either side of her, holding him up. _How was he getting the scarf off if not with his hands?_ At that moment, she felt his breath on her newly exposed neck, and it sent shivers down to her toes. Gasping, her arms went involuntarily around his neck and she rolled them over.

She felt his hands graze her skin as he slid the bottom of her blouse up over her back, over her shoulders, and finally over her head. "There, that's better," he whispered in her ear, moving on down her neck and to her chest. She could feel his desire for her growing, and she could wait no longer. Her hand made its way down his chest, past his taut stomach, and stopped at his belt. She undid it expertly, all the while kissing him.

"Just a sec," he interrupted, rolling over and getting up.

"Shane?" Kimberly questioned.

Shane moved quickly to a corner in the room, grabbing some pillows and blankets. Spreading them out next to her, he returned to the floor and pulled her back to his side.

"I was planning on sleeping here tonight." Shane started moving his hand up her thigh, over her hip, and moving to her lower back. Pressing his hand into her back, he whispered into her ear, "I'd love some company."

Her ability to speak was lost as he showered her with kisses, first on her face and neck, then moving down her body. They worked together to remove the rest of their clothing, and then they gave in to the passion that had been building for months.

Lying there in the afterglow of lovemaking, they clung to each other. She rested her head comfortably on his chest, her hand was trying to relearn the curves and paths of the tight muscles placed perfectly on his lean frame.

Though darkness surrounded her, inside her head colors and images from the past paraded through her mind, and she knew she could get through anything with this wonderful, amazing man who loved her for who she was. She gave him a light squeeze, and he sighed contentedly. She realized he had fallen asleep. As her eyes grew heavy, she closed them.

After a while, unsure of how long, she heard a phone ring. It made her start, but she did not want to open her eyes. "Shane," she whispered. "Aren't you going to get that?"

Rolling over, she did not feel him next to her. Opening her eyes and sitting up quickly, she felt disoriented. She wasn't on the floor at Shane's new house, the surface felt too soft and smooth for that. It felt like a bed. It felt like her bed. The phone was still ringing.

Kimberly leaned in the direction of the ringing, stretching her arm out. Finding the receiver, she picked it up. "Hello," she said groggily.

"Kimmie, did I wake you?" It was the comforting voice of her mother.

"Mama?" Kimberly was very confused.

"Yes dear, I was wondering how last night went. Did you get to visit Shane's new house?" Caroline did not even notice the confusion in her daughter's voice.

_Had it been a dream?_ Kimberly realized she needed to get off the phone with her mother, and get her bearings. "Can I call you back, after I've had my first cup of coffee?"

"Of course dear, whenever you get a chance," Caroline answered. "I'll talk to you later."

Kimberly gently put the receiver back on the hook. _When would these dreams stop?_ She lamented. She got out of bed, slowly feeling her way to the kitchen to put on a pot of tea. How would she ever get him out of her head, when she couldn't remove him from her heart?


End file.
